Pipe or conduit benders



1953 R. H. HENDERSON 2,820,504 PIPE OR CONDUIT BENDERS I Filed Oct. 21,'1955 IN V EN TOR. 02 @123" ji aiae yfiendez'son United States PatentOPIPE R CONDUIT BENDERS Robert Halsey Henderson, East Orange, N. J.

Application October 21, 1955, Serial No. 542,042

4 Claims. (Cl. 153-39) This invention relates to improvements in pipe orconduit bending tools; and has reference, more particularly, to a novelconstruction of tool adapted to produce angular bends in pipe, andespecially adapted to bend thin wall tubular pipe or conduit.

This invention has for its general object to provide a portable bendingtool which can be quickly set up on the job, and which is adapted toproduce angular bends in pipe or thin wall electric wire conduit tubingwithout the formation of kinks or other undesirable distortions, whileat the same time providing a tool for such work which enables the userto quickly produce desired bends with a minimum of effort.

The invention has for a further object to provide a pipe or conduitbender comprising a body member or bending saddle having in its top anarcuate channel of semi-circular cross-section of a width correspondingto the external diameter of the pipe or conduit to be bent, the arc ofsaid channel determining the curvature of the bend to be produced, saidbody member or bending saddle having a transverse abutment spacedoutwardly from an end thereof and radially offset from its arcuatechannel, whereby to hold or anchor the pipe or conduit subject tobending force applied thereto; and a manipulatable bending jaw forcooperation with the body member or bending saddle, which is adapted tobe shifted along the latter to apply progressive or step by step bendingforce to the pipe or conduit operated upon; said body member or bendingsaddle and said bending jaw having cooperative means to pivotally engagethe latter with the former subject to oscillatory movement toward andfrom the same; said bending jaw being of relatively short length, andbeing also provided in its underside with an arcuate channel ofsemi-circular cross-section and width corresponding to the diameter ofthe pipe or conduit to be bent, which channel opposes that of the bodymember or bending saddle, so that, when said bending jaw is closed downupon the body member or bending saddle, the pipe or conduit undergoingbending manipulation will be fully enclosed between these parts at thezone of bend.

Another object of this invention is to provide the body member orbending saddle with means for supporting the same at a place of use, andto provide the bending jaw with means to apply actuating leveragethereto.

The above and other objects will be understood from a reading of thefollowing detailed description of an embodiment of this invention inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a bending tool according to thisinvention with pipe engaged therewith subject to bending manipulation,and showing the bending jaw as initially disposed to initiate a bendingoperation; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the bending jaw as actuatedto effect a first pipe bending step; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transversevertical sectional view, taken on.

line 33 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. l, butshowing the bending jaw advanced ready to perform a succeeding pipebending step.

2,820,504 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 Referring to the drawings, in whichlike characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts, the reference character 10 indicates the body member or bendingsaddle of the tool, the same having an arcuate top portion 11 alongwhich extends an upwardly or outwardly and endwise open pipe or conduitreceiving channel 12. The curvature of the arcuate top portion 11 andthe contained channel 12 is of a radius corresponding to the radius ofthe bend which is to be formed in a pipe or conduit operated upon. Saidpipe or conduit receiving channel 12 is of semi-circular cross sectionalshape and of a width corresponding to the external diameter of the pipeor conduit to be bent.

Provided in connection with one side of the body member or bendingsaddle 10, preferably as an integral part thereof, and so as to extendrearwardly from the rear end of the body member or bending saddle, is anarm 13. This arm 13 is provided at its free end with a transverseabutment member 14, which is so spaced away from the rear end of thebody member or bending saddle 10 as to form a laterally open gap 15 ofsufficient width to permit a pipe or conduit to be entered sidewisetherethrough into axially aligned relation to the channel 12 of the bodymember or bending saddle 10.

The underside of the abutment member 14 is provided 1 with a pipe orconduit seating notch 16 disposed in alignment with the channel 12 ofthe body member or bending saddle, with its open side opposed to andradially offset relative to said channel 12, whereby said notch willseat the upper side of an entered pipe or conduit,

,7 when the lower side of said pipe or conduit engages in the rear endof said channel 12 (see Fig. 1).

Intermediate its ends, the body member or bending saddle is providedwith a downwardly projecting shank portion 17 for purpose hereinafterset forth. The abutment member 14 is provided with an opening 18extending longitudinally therethrough, the purpose of which will also behereinafter explained.

Beginning at points spaced forwardly from the rear end of the bodymember or bending saddle 10, to extend from said points forwardly alongand so as to conformably border opposite sides of the curved top 11thereof, are laterally projecting track flanges or ledges 19, which arepreferably formed as integral parts of the body member or bendingsaddle.

Provided for cooperation with the body member or bending saddle 10 is amovable bending jaw 20 of longitudinally arcuate formation, and ofrelatively short length as compared with the length of said body memberor bending saddle. The arcuate curvature of said bending jaw correspondsto the curvature of the arcuate top 11 of the body member or bendingsaddle. Provided in the bottom of the bending jaw 20 is a downwardly andendwise open pipe or conduit embracing channel 21 of semicircularcross-sectional shape, and of width corresponding to that of the channel12 of the body member or bending saddle, and therefore likewisecorresponding to the external diameter of the pipe or conduit to bebent. Provided at the rear end of the bending jaw, to depend fromopposite sides thereof for downward extension across the track flangesor ledges 19 of the body member or bending saddle 10, in straddlingrelation thereto, are yoke arms 22. Projecting inwardly from the freeends of said yoke arms, to engage the undersides of said track flangesor ledges 19, are rounded pivoting bosses 23, which, in contact with theundersides of said track flanges or ledges, provide a fulcrum aboutwhich the bending jaw 20 can be swung relative to the top of the bodymember or bending saddle 10, when the bending jaw is operativelyassembled with the latter. Projecting shank 24 that is adapted toreceive application thereto of 3 leverage exerting means for actuatingthe bending jaw in use.--

To support the body member or bending saddle at a place of use, its rearend portion can be secured to a support 'such asa bench,upright-timber,*joi'st or-colurnn of a building or anyother suitableformersupporting means, bypassing a lag-screw"(notshownjf through-theopening 18 of the abutment member "14 into su'ch'support to anchor thebody memberor bending saddle thereto for outward projection therefrom,therebyto 'positibmthe" same at a convenient height above the floor ofthe place of use. To stabilize the thus supported body member or bendingsaddle against yielding to pipe bending pressure" in'use, a stay'leg 25,preferably comprisinga tubular member or section of pipe of insidediameter to tele scopically receive said'shank portion 17, is applied'to said shank portion to incline downwardly'andforwardly from the bodymember or bending saddle to the floor of the place of use, whereby tobrace the same againstyield ing to applied pipe or conduit bendingpressure; such method of support being similar to that disclosed'in myprior United States Letters Patent No. 1,659,026.

In the use of the bender, a straight length of pipe'or conduit P, inwhich it is desired to form a bend, is passed sidewise through the gap15, and is then disposed so that its top side seats in the seating notch16 of the abutment member 14, with the pipe or conduit extendingthencethrough the rear end of the channel 12 of the'body memberor bendingsaddle 10, to engage the bottom side of the pipe or conduit therein-withthe pipe or conduit thence inclining upwardly and forwardly above saidchannel 12 (see Fig. 1). The pipe or conduit P being thus initiallypositioned, the bending jaw 20, which is subject to detachableengagement with the body member or bending saddle 10, is overlaid uponthe pipe or conduitP, and initially operatively engaged with the rearend portion of the body member or bending saddle It) by passing the yokearms 22 thereof over the latter rearwardly of the extremities of thetrack flanges or ledges 19, and then shifting the same forward to engagethe pivoting bosses 23 beneath the rear end portions of said trackflanges or ledges 19, so-that the bending jaw 20, as embracing theupwardly and forwardly inclined pipe or conduit P, extends up-' wardlyand forwardly divergent to the underlying body member or bending saddleand its pipe or conduit receiving channel 12 (see Fig. 1). In order toprovide sufficient leverage for swinging down the bending jaw 20 Withpipe or conduit bending effect, a lever member 26,--preferablycomprising 'a suitable lengthof tubular member or PiPByOf insidediameter to telescopically receive the shank 24 of the bending jaw, isapplied tosaid shank. This hav-' ing: been done, the bender is ready tobegin thepipe or conduit bending operation. i

To -start-bending manipulation of the pipe or conduit P,'the operatorgrasps the-lever member 26 and swings the samedownwa'rd, therebyswinging downward the bending jaw 20, as fulcrumedbythe pivoting bosses23 against the track flanges or ledges 19 of the body member orbending'saddle 10,'against the embraced pipe or conduit P. Suchdownswinging movement of the bending jaw carries'the engaged pipe orconduit into theunderlying chanml '12 of the body member or bendingsaddle 10, thereby bending said engaged portion of the pipe or conduitcon- After completion of the above described initial bending operation,if further increase of the angularity of the bend is desired, thebending jaw is up swung and then shifted forwardly along the body memberor bending saddle, so as to engage the forwardly extending unbentportion of the pipe or conduit adjacent to the initial bend (see Fig.4), whereupon the down swinging bending actuation of the bending jaw isrepeated. Such step by step bending manipulation can be repeated until adesired angularity of bend is attained.

It will be understood that the channel '12 of the body member or bendingsaddle and the complementary channel 21 of'the'bending jaw maybe'provided in various sizes corresponding to external diameters ofdifferent sizes or pipes or conduits, ranging e. g. from A to 2 inchesin diameter.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A pipe or conduit bender comprising a stationary bendi'ng'saddlehaving an arcuate top portion and provided with an upwardly and endwiseopen pipeor conduit receiving channel extending along said top portion,said channel being of semi-circular cross-section corresponding in widthto the diameter of a pipe or conduit to be bent and in depth to thecross-sectional radius of said pipe or conduit, said bending saddlehaving an arm rearwardly 1 extending from" one side thereof, atransverse abutment member supported by said arm in oifsetrelation tothe rearward open end of the pipe or conduit receiving channel; saidbending saddle having laterally projecting track means bordering the topportion thereof conformably to its curvature, amanipulatable bending jawopposed to the arcuate top portion of the bending saddle and ofsubstantially less length than said bendingsaddle, said bending jawhaving a bottom curvature corresponding to that of said arcuate topportion of the bending saddle, said bending jaw having in its bottom adownwardly and endwise open pipe or conduit embracing channelcorresponding in width'to the diameter of the pipe or conduit to be bentand in depth to the cross-sectional radius of said pipe or conduit, andmeans to detachably pivotally engage the rearward end of said bendingjaw with the track means of the bending saddle, said bending jaw and itspivoting means being shiftable along the bending saddle and its trackflanges to successive pipe or conduit bending positions.

2. A pipe or conduit bender according to claim 1 wherein the means forpivotally engaging the bending jaw with the bending saddle comprisesdependent'means laterally offset from the bending jaw at the rearwardend thereof and adapted'to straddle the track means of the latter, andsaid'dependent means having inwardly pro jecting pivoting means toengage theundersides of said track means.

3. -A pipe or conduit bender comprising a bending saddle having means tosupport the's'anie, said bending saddle having an arcuate top portionprovided with anupwardly and endwise openpipe' or conduit receivingchannel ex tending along said top portion, said channel being ofsemicircular cross-section corresponding in width to the diameter of apipe or conduit to "be bent and in-depth to the cross-sectional radiusof said pipe or conduit, said bending saddle having an arm rearwardlyextending from one side thereof, a transverse abutment member supportedby said arm in offset relation to the rearward open end of the pipe orconduit receiving channel, said bending saddle having laterallyprojecting track flanges bordering opposite sides ofthe top portionthereof 'conformably to its curvature, the rearward ends of said trackflanges being spaced a distance forwardly of the rear end of the bendingsaddle, a manipulatable'arcuate bending jaw opposed to the arcuatetopportion of the bending saddle and of less length than said saddle, saidbending 'jaw'having-a bottom" curvature'corres'ponding to thatof saidarc'uatetop por tion of the bending saddle,"'said'bending jaw having inits bottom a downwardly and endwise open pipe or conduit embracingchannel of semi-circular cross-section corresponding in width to thediameter of a pipe or conduit to be bent and in depth to thecross-sectional radius of said pipe or conduit, a lever arm foractuating said bending jaw, and means to detachably pivotally engage therearward end of said bending jaw with the track flanges of the bendingsaddle, said means comprising dependent yoke arms respectively laterallyoffset from opposite sides of the bending jaw at the rearward endthereof and adapted to straddle the track flanges of the bending saddlewhen moved over the rearward ends of the latter, said yoke arms havinginwardly projecting pivoting bosses to engage undersides of the trackflanges, said bending jaw and its pivoting means being shiftable alongthe bending saddle and its track flanges to successive pipe or conduitbending positions.

4. A pipe or conduit bender according to claim 3 wherein the means forsupporting the bending saddle comprises means to secure the same to astationary support above the floor level at a place of use comprising afastener receiving opening with which the abutment member of the bendingsaddle is provided, and a stay leg connected with said bending saddle toextend in downward inclination therefrom to said floor level.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,349,219 Moore et al Aug. 10, 1920 1,659,026 Henderson Feb. 14, 19282,463,966 Hauschild Mar. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 417,656 Great BritainOct. 3, 1934 724,583 Germany Aug. 29, 1942

